Courtesy University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Athletics Department
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions, defending champions of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, will open up their 2013 season by entertaining two new non-conference opponents before beginning defense of the league crown they won last season with impressive records of 10-2 overall and 8-1 in conference play.
UAPB, whose season was capped with an exhilarating 24-21 overtime victory over Jackson State University last December in the Toyota SWAC Championship game in Birmingham, Ala., won more games in 2012 than it ever has on the gridiron. To enjoy the successes of a year ago, the Golden Lions will have to march through a schedule in 2013 that features one team that won a post-season bowl game, another which is a perennial power in the Southland Conference and a SWAC schedule that promises to be more competitive than ever.
“I’m very pleased with our schedule. We will start off on the road with two non-conference opponents, and then it’s on to conference play”, said head coach Monte Coleman.
The Golden Lions will begin their 2013 season with back-to-back road games against new opponents. UAPB will travel to Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Ark. on August 31 and to McNeese State University in Lake Charles, La. on September 7. Last year, the Arkansas State Red Wolves went 12-3 after winning the GoDaddy.com Bowl with a 17-13 victory over Kent State University, while the McNeese State Cowboys went 7-4 and finished fourth in the Southland Conference.
Following the dates with the two new foes, UAPB will make their home debut with back-to-back home games at Golden Lion Stadium, starting first with the Alabama State University Hornets on September 14 and then against the Braves of Alcorn State University on September 21. Last year, UAPB defeated the Hornets 24-21 and the Braves 24-6, both on the road.
After an open date on September 28, what promises to be the game-of-the-year will take place on October 5 in Jackson, Miss. when the Golden Lions face a Jackson State University team that it defeated twice last season. UAPB defeated the JSU Tigers 34-24 at home during the regular-season before securing the three-point victory in the SWAC title game.
A pair of home games will then be on tap for UAPB, an October 12 contest against the Texas Southern University Tigers, followed by a homecoming matchup against the Southern University Jaguars on October 19. The Golden Lions rolled past TSU last season in Houston, Tex., winning 49-3, two weeks after storming past the Jaguars in Baton Rouge, La. to the tune of 50-21.
On October 26, the Golden Lions will face a Mississippi Valley State University team in Itta Bena, Miss. that It held scoreless at home last season, 10-0, before enjoying their second week off during the season.
When play resumes on November 9, UAPB will play its final home game of the season when Grambling State University, which captured the SWAC championship in 2011, invades Golden Lion Stadium. At Eddie G. Robinson Stadium in Louisiana last year, UAPB escaped with a close 24-17 victory over the home standing Tigers.
The regular-season will conclude with road games at Alabama A&M University on November 16 in Huntsville, Ala. and Prairie View A&M University on November 23 in Prairie View, Texas. The AAMU Bulldogs were the lone SWAC team to defeat the Golden Lions last season, when they handed UAPB a 14-10 loss in Pine Bluff on September 8. UAPB closed out the 2012 regular-season with a narrow 42-41 shootout victory over the PVAMU Panthers on November 17.
“We’re looking forward to this upcoming season. We understand that there is a target on our backs and we are preparing mentally as well as physically to defend our crown”, added Coleman.
The 2013 SWAC Championship game will be played on Saturday, December 7 at a site to be announced.
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